Iran’s 60-year-old leader of the elite Revolutionary Guard Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami said the “slightest error” by the United States or Israel would result in devastating attack. Iran’s still reeling from the U.S. Jan. 3 predator drone strike that killed 62-year-old Al-Qud’s Leader Qassem Solemani and Iraq’s 65-year-old Hezbollah leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandris. If Solemani continues to threaten the U.S., he could wind up like Solemani. Iran doesn’t learned anything from threatening 73-year-old President Donald Trump, who’s said in the past, he reserves the right to respond to Iranian aggression at a time of his choosing, leaving Iranian officials nervous. Salami’s threats are heard loudly by Trump who’s waiting patiently until the next move against Iran. In the mean time, Trump continues to apply “maximum pressure,” applying punitive economic sanctions, leaving Iran’s economy in shambles.
Instead of threatening the U.S., you’d think that Iran’s 80-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khemenei would control the rhetoric coming out of the Iranian regime. “If you make the slightest error, we will hit both of you,” Salami said at a speech marking 40 days since Solemani’s death. Unlike Solemani, Salami’s responsible for securing Iran’s security inside its borders, in contrast to Al-Qud’s force now headed by 62-year-old Esmail Ghaani, who’s avowed revenge for Solemani’s death. With over 100 U.S. soldiers recovering from Traumatic Brain Injury [TBI] from Iran’s Jan. 4 missile strike on Iraq’s Al Assad air base in Western Iraq, Iran pushes its luck. Trump didn’t retaliate for Iran’s missile attack because Iran avoided U.S. casualties, something that would have no doubt prompted a retaliatory strike. Iran continues to lash out after Trump cancelled former President Barack Obama’s 2015 Iranian Nuke Deal.
Trump cancelled the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] because of Iran’s ongoing proxy war with Saudi Arabia and Israel. Trump asked Iran to restrain its state-sponsored terror activities, supplying Yemen’s Houthi rebels with guided missiles and predator drones with which to attack the Kingdom. When Iran struck Saudi’s main oil refinery at Abaiq and Khurais Sept 14, 2019 disrupting 25% of Saudi’s oil output, Trump decided that Iran had gone too far. Saudi’s Defense Minister Crown Prince Mohammed bin-Salman [MBS], promised retaliation but did nothing. Iran’s Supreme leader knows that Trump means business when it comes to protecting U.S. national security. Threatening the U.S. plays well domestically but raises the stakes for the Iranian regime thinking they could survive a devastating U.S. strike. No Iranian official is serious about striking the U.S. or Israel.
Solemani’s targeted killing has been debated in the U.S., prompting eight Republican senators, including Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) of limiting Trump’s military options in Iran without prior authorization from Congress. Trump will veto any Congressional Resolution that limits his Article 2 powers to protect U.S. national security. Killing Solemani was a calculated move to tell Iran to stop supplying arms-and-cash to Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon. “The cowardly and craven assassination of commander Solemani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis by the Americans will lead to the liberation of Jerusalem, by the grace of God,” said Salami, hinting at Iran’s support of any armed groups that promise the destruction of Israel, a major selling point for the Iranian regime. Despite coming from a different Islamic faith, Iran joins Sunni Arabs in seeking to destroy Israel.
Ayatollah Khamenei reiterated last week his backing for radical Palestinian groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, for their ongoing war against the Jewish State. Despite Trump, through his 39-year-old son-in-law Jared Kushner, proposing a new Mideast peace plan, Hamas and other radical group seek the destruction of Israel. Trump has asked Iran to stop supporting proxy wars against the U.S. and Israel or continue to face punitive economic sanctions. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin continues to apply maximum economic pressure on Iran to stop its proxy wars against Saudi Arabia and Israel. Until Iran changes its state-sponsor of terrorism, Trump will keep economic sanctions in place. Other than threatening the U.S., Iran has limited options, knowing that any strike against the U.S. or Israel would be met with a devastating U.S. strike against Iran’s oil infrastructure.
Threatening to hit the U.S. and Israel, Salami puts Iran in more jeopardy, leaving all Iran’s senior leadership fair game in a retaliatory strike. Iran’s replacement for Solemani Brig. Gen. Esmail Ghaani would be next in line if Salami continues to threaten U.S. interests. With widespread discontent for Khameneis’ regime, the state-run media continues to hype the daily threat of the U.S. and Israel to ordinary Iranian citizens. Iran’s youthful population rejects the Ayatollah’s Basij militia, enforcing strict Islamic law on young Iranians. While there’s no evidence Iran would go back to secular rule anytime soon, there’s growing frustration with Iran’s Mullah regime. Targeting the U.S. and Israel, Ayatollah Ali Kheamenei knows his propaganda, using an external enemy to suppress a popular uprising against Mullah rule. Iranians cry out for freedom while their government continues to crack down.
